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Michigan State

Tom Izzo to coaches using his age against him in recruiting: 'Bring it on'

Matt Connollyby: Matt Connolly10/17/24MattConnollyOn3
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo watches a play against Mississippi State during the first half of NCAA tournament West Region first round at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. - Junfu Han, USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo watches a play against Mississippi State during the first half of NCAA tournament West Region first round at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. - Junfu Han, USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo is 69 years old but feels strongly that he still has plenty left in the tank entering his 30th season as the head coach of the Spartans.

Izzo was asked during his press conference on Thursday what motivates him to keep going, including going on recruiting trips at 5 a.m. He shared that he is as motivated now as he has ever been and delivered a message to coaches who negatively recruit against him because of his age.

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“Well, you know, it’s such a loaded question, because people wanna use it against you in recruiting and all those things,” Tom Izzo said. “But I will say this, when I don’t [go on 5 a.m. recruiting trips], and you hear I don’t do that, then you can start predicting and guessing.

“But until that, all the ones that are out there wanting to use that, bring it on. Bring. It. On. Any and every day of the week, bring it on.”

Izzo has reached the Final 4 eight times during his illustrious coaching career and has also won a national title. He feels that he is in excellent shape and can still win at a high level moving forward.

“Those of you that probably had a bad hip or whatever, get it done. I’m definitely healthier and happier now than I was even three or four years ago,” Izzo said. “So I’ve been given a new life raft, I guess. I’ve weighed a lot on a lot of things that have happened in the last six, seven years, and looked at it and probably didn’t always handle it right.

“As you look back on things, you try to figure them out. But I see our place more stable, and unfortunately, that’s important to me.”

Finally, Izzo issued one final warning to coaches who think he is too old and the game has passed him by.

“A lot of these guys that are wondering what I do and whether I’m going to have as much energy as them, they don’t even do half of what I do. Because this whole University is important to me,” Tom Izzo said “I’ve got a lot left in the tank. Whether they want me here, that’s their decision. But as far as for me, I feel great.”